Purchase of Development Rights (PDR)

Farmland conservation easements are voluntary legal agreements that restrict the development and subdivision of land, either as a donation or through monetary compensation, with the goal of preserving land suited for farming.

NYS Farmland Protection Implementation Grants Program – Commonly known as the "Purchase of Development Rights" (PDR) program, New York State has offered Farmland Protection Implementation Grants (FPIG) program since the 1990s for easement projects.  

A requirement of the state program, the Schuyler County Agriculture & Farmland Protection Board (AFPB) must endorse a limited number of applications to the state during each funding round.  As interest in the program has increased, the APFB has developed a pre-application process for interested farm owners to identify the most viable and competitive lands to receive endorsement and undertake the full state application process.